BVI pulls out of game 20/20 against Anguilla and USVI

The British Virgin Islands cricket team will no longer travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands to play in two 20-20 practice games this weekend as previously planned.
 
 This is due to a combination of the fact that fast bowler and vice-captain of the team Bront DeFreitas has been called up to join the Leeward Islands squad in St. Maarten and injuries to several key BVI players.
 
 The Leeward Islands and Trinidad & Tobago meet in a key third round match in the regional Carib Beer Series, starting on Friday at Carib Lumber Park in St. Maarten. DeFreitas was called up to replace injured Antiguan fast bowler Gavin Tonge.
 
 BVI all-rounder Maxford Pipe is also in the Leeward Islands squad, having been selected since the first round of matches two weeks ago.
 
 During the BVI,s last cricket tour of the Cayman Islands, 16-year-old Sheldon John, the most experienced player in the side Kelvin Jeffers, and medium fast bowler Earl Prescott sustained thigh, hamstring and knee injuries respectively.
 
 This means the BVI would have had to play without five of its key players. The team was scheduled to play against the USVI and Anguilla on St. Thomas over the coming weekend.
 
 Manager of the BVI Stanford 20-20 squad Charlie Jackson, who is also vice president of the BVI Cricket Association, said the team management thought it would be in the best interest of the players to cancel the tour.
 
 Jackson said in light of the fact that the regional Stanford tournament is just a week away, it would not be wise to risk further injuries to any of the players, or aggravate any of the injuries already sustained by John, Jeffers and Prescott.
 
 The manager acknowledged that the match practice would have benefited the team, but the said the remainder of the players would be in regular training on Saturday and Sunday at the Greenland Ground, East End.
 
 The 13-man squad which will represent the BVI in the Stanford tournament in Antigua are Vishal Bharat (captain), Bront DeFreitas (vice captain), Daniel Singh (wicketkeeper), Kevin Joseph, Sheldon John, Maxford Pipe, Kelvin Jeffers, Dorian Auguiste, Kwesi Sinclair, Neil Niles, Lennox Samuel, Earl Prescott and Selwyn Hamilton.
 
 The Stanford tournament begins on Saturday, January 26 and the BVI's game is against Dominica on Sunday, January 27.